President warns against corruption; accepts resignation of those who joined campaign trail

By Tracey Khan – Drakes

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Public Servants who resigned during the reign of the previous administration to hit the campaign trail were today informed that their resignations have been accepted by the David Granger Administration.

The President made the announcement during a meeting with Permanent Secretaries of Ministries and Heads of agencies at the renamed International Convention Center on Wednesday, May 20.

In the past, officials within the public service including Permanent Secretaries have resigned to take part in political campaigns and would return to their post after the Party in government retain their office.

iNews has learned that Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government, Collin Croal had tendered his resignation during the month of April, but made a withdrawal sometime last week. His withdrawal was accepted by Donald Ramotar who was President at the time.

It is unknown if any other Heads or Permanent Secretaries resigned from their post during the 2015 regional and general elections campaign trail and efforts made by iNews to contact those individuals proved futile.

Meanwhile, in his efforts to establish and maintain a thriving Public Service, President Granger will establish a ‘Public Service staff college’ which will help with effective training of potential employees of the sector.

This will mean that persons, before entering the sector, will pass through this college to ensure they can perform their duties effectively instead of being trained on the job. The President and his team continue to strategize and have laid out the blue print for their expectations of public servants to better serve the people. It is therefore Granger’s aim to have this sector ‘un-bribable’ and in this regard is looking to establish a merit system that will employ and elevate workers.

The President was firm in his position to the Heads and Permanent Secretaries that he is not interested in their political affiliations.

“I do not care about who you voted for last Monday, what I care about is that when the political ministers enter the ministries…that the public servants they find there will forget who they voted for and work with devotion and dedication to ensure that the ministry succeeds,” the President said.

He was clear on his point that “corrupt officials” will have no place in his government.

“It is my view that the public service is the engine of the Executive, it is essential to have an efficient public service if we are to have services such as education, housing, law and order infrastructure, roads to drive on. I don’t believe that these can be possible without an efficient public service, it is essential also to create the environment in which our citizens can enjoy what I call a good life.”

The President spoke of a responsive public service that will look at the needs of the people throughout the country and not be centrally based.

He called on public servants not to be politicians but always be prepared to work with the administration in government for its success.

“The public servants must live by different rules, the politicians are the representatives who will go to parliament and speak in the interest of their constituency but the public servants must not try to be politicians, they must give those politicians their best advice without fear or favor.”  

He also noted that when political appointees are brought into the sector, it is turned “upside down, the subordinates know more than their superiors and that does not make sense because it leads to inefficiency.”